Penn Dental School Requirements

The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine is one of 66 dental programs in the United States of America. The Penn Dental School Requirements are categorized here in the priority of what an applicant must submit to be considered:

Academic

1. Pre-requisite courses
2. Minimum number of years of undergraduate study required
3. GPA

Non-Academic 

1. Dentistry Admission Test (DAT)
2. Dental Shadowing
3. Letter of References
4. Personal Essay
5. Interview

Penn Dental School Requirements: Prerequisite Courses

All students applying to the University of Pennsylvania Dental School must have no requirements for minimum years of study. However, students must complete the following prerequisite courses listed below:

Prerequisite Course	Required	Lab Required	Credits (Semester/Quarter)
Biology	✓	✓	2 Semesters
General Chemistry	✓	✓	2 Semesters
Organic Chemistry	✓	✓	1 Semester
Physics	✓	✓	2 Semesters
Biochemistry	✓	X	1 Semester
English	✓	X	2 Semesters
Mathematics	✓	X	1 Semester

AP and International Baccalaureate credits are allowed as long as those credits appear on the official college transcript from the applicant’s undergraduate institution.

If you have earned the P/F grade in a pre-requisite AND it appears for credit on your transcript by your institution, Penn Dental School will accept it for full credit and consider the grade in the context of the entire transcript. Penn Dental Medicine will accept P/F grades for courses taken during the Spring, Summer, and Fall 2020 and 2021 terms to meet admissions requirements.

University of Pennsylvania Dental School Requirements: GPA Calculation and Requirements

Minimum Overall GPA to Apply	Average Overall GPA of accepted applicants	Lowest Overall GPA Admitted	Average Science GPA of accepted applicants	Lowest Science GPA Admitted
NR	3.75	3.46	3.70	3.31

Penn Dental School Requirements: Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and Shadowing

DAT and Shadowing Overview:

Dental Shadowing Hours	DAT Required	CAD DAT Accepted	DAT Scores Considered
NR	✓	✓	Highest Score

Although Penn Dental School has never had “threshold” hourly requirements for shadowing, they encourage applicants to pursue a varied course in their shadowing endeavours. This may include a good exposure in general dentistry as well as exploring as much as possible some of the dental specialties in order to explore the breadth of the profession.

Penn Dental School Requirements: DAT Admission Score Statistics:

Mean Academic Average Score	Minimum AA Score Given Admission	Mean Perceptual Ability Test	Minimum PAT Score Given Admission	Mean Total Science	Minimum Total Science Score Given Admission
22.4	20	21.7	17	21.9	19

Applicants are required to take the DAT. If an applicant has completed the DAT more than once the highest score in each subject area will be assessed when calculations are made.

Students looking to test their knowledge in preparation for the DAT can click on this link to access our free practice tests for both the Canadian DAT and American DAT. Additionally, check out our 10 tips to Ace the DAT from a 25+ AA test taker!

University of Pennsylvania Dental School Requirements: Letters of Recomendation

A minimum of two letters from professors (preferably from your major course of study) or a committee letter prepared by the school’s prehealth advisor and/or a committee familiar with the applicant’s academic abilities is required. Penn Dental Medicine does not require letters from science faculty unless you are a science major.

AADSAS Personal Essays

This University may take into account the AADSAS personal essay you submit to the ADEA. Your personal statement is a one-page essay (not to exceed 4,500 characters, including spaces, carriages, numbers, letters, etc.) that gives dental schools a clear picture of who you are and, most importantly, why you want to pursue a career in dentistry. For more information on the personal essay click on the link above.

Penn Dental School Requirements: Interview

Mandatory	By Invitation	Number of Applicants Invited	Entering Class Size
✓	✓	N/A	136

Shortlisted candidates will be required to partake in an interview with the admissions team. The interview process for this dental school is unknown. If you are looking for interview practice check out our posts on both MMI Practice Questions and Standard Interview Practice Questions.

Requirements for other Dental Schools in America:

If you would like an in-depth analysis of the dental school requirements for other dental schools in the United States of America click on this link. Those looking to compare the costs of dental schools can click here.